Roast

Are your summer days packed with activities and dinner becomes a big headache? The 3T crew is busy with ranch construction projects, fixing fences, transporting cattle to summer pastures and the kids have their own summer activities. Plus, we have decided to get not one, but two puppies.. I know, who does that? Their parents are great cattle working dogs and we could always use help to work our cows. So, I don't know about you, but by dinnertime, I'm pretty tired.

Here is an easy summer recipe, so you can enjoy dinner on your deck or patio. Nobody wants to spend a couple of hours making dinner. Even better.. The InstaPot or CrockPot will do the cooking for you in this recipe, so you can enjoy a Margarita while dinner is cooking on its own!

Ingredients:

3 lbs 3T Ranch Beef Roast (you can also use flank or skirt steak)

1 tablespoon dry oregano

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon ground pepper

1 diced medium sweet onion

1 diced bell pepper

1/4 cup canola oil

4 chopped garlic cloves

1 can (7.76 oz) LaCostena Chipotle Sauce or Chile in Adobo Sauce (if using Chile in Adobo Sauce - use two peppers and scrape out the seeds, then use all of the sauce from the can and discard the rest of the peppers It would be too spicy to use all of the peppers).

1 cup beef broth (2 cups of beef broth for CrockPot version)

Directions for InstaPot: Preferred 3T method

Cut up your roast into bigger chunks. (I think the beef cooks better vs just putting in the whole roast).

Set your InstaPot on "sear" and pour in 1/4 cup of canola oil.

Dry off your beef chunks with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Now, that the pot is hot, sear the beef chunks on all sides. Take out the beef.

Time to sauté the onion and bell peppers. Give it a couple of minutes to sauté the veggies before adding the garlic. You don't want the garlic to burn. Cook until all veggies are tender.

TIP: if your onion is getting a little burned before being tender add a little bit of water to the pot.

Add oregano, one can of Chipotle Sauce and one cup of beef broth and stir all together.

Beef goes back in the pot, close the lid and set your InstaPot on "Beef Stew". Depending on your InstaPot setting, your beef will be done in about 60 minutes. If you are using steaks, you can cut down the cooking to 35 minutes.

Directions for CrockPot: This recipe

You can certainly use CrockPot for this recipe as well.

Dry off your beef chunks with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Heat your skillet and add 1/4 cup of oil.

Sear the beef in a skillet on all sides. Take out.

Time to sauté the onion and bell peppers. Give it a couple of minutes to sauté the veggies before adding the garlic. You don't want the garlic to burn. Cook until all veggies are tender.

TIP: if your onion is getting a little burned before being tender add a little bit of water to the pot.

Put in the CrockPot - oregano, one can of Chipotle Sauce and two cups of beef broth and stir all together.

Beef goes in the CrockPot.

Set you CrockPot for high for 4 hours. (I don't like to cook my beef on low in the CrockPot. I think the beef gets too dry on the low setting).

Make sure to check your liquid levels during cooking.

Beef is done, time to serve it to your crowd. You can certainly shred the beef, but we do like the beef in chunks. You can cut the beef into bitesize chunks. The beef is juicy and tender, you can discard the sauce the beef was cooking in. (Or you can certainly skim off the fat and reduce the liquid in a sauce pan. It will have a kick. The beef on its own is not spicy). I typically serve the beef with rice, guacamole, salsa, pepper jack cheese and Costco uncooked flour tortillas. I know it adds another step to your cooking, but it is so worth it! And if you really want to step it up.. Here is a recipe for Homemade Corn Tortillas!

Homemade Corn Tortillas:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups masa harina, more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fat such as melted lard, butter or canola oil

1 cup hot water, plus more as needed

Directions:

Place masa and salt in a bowl and throughly combine with the fat, mixing with fingers or a whisk. (KitchenAid works great for this). Slowly stream in the water while mixing until the dough comes together into a ball.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and form each into a smooth ball.

Place masa balls on a baking sheet, cover with plastic, rest for 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium.

If the dough has dried slightly during resting, wet hands and roll each ball again to moisten. Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and place directly in the center of the tortilla press. Press down firmly, then durn the tortilla 90 degrees and press again.

Transfer it into the hot skillet. Cook the tortilla until brown spots appear on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip with a thin metal spatula, and do the same on the other side.

TIP: Sur La Table has many great gadgets how to keep you tortillas warm while you are cooking the rest. The homemade tortillas might sound intimidating, but they are really easy. I have taken a class at Sur La Table with my friend and the tortillas were piece a cake to make and the flavor was amazing!!

I enjoy watching the FB cooking videos, it gives me ideas on what to cook for my family. Last weekend, I have seen a tasty looking Mexican Beef Barbacoa. Our family likes beef and we like Mexican food, so I had to try it out. It came out delish and it is definitely on our dinner rotation list! I have made a few tweaks to suit our family's taste buds, but the core of the recipe was awesome. My Cowboss is on a roll to decrease the amount of sugar we eat, so I have omitted the sugar in this recipe all together.

Here is the link to the original recipe and below you can find our tweaks and tips!

Ingredients:

4 Chile De Ristra (mild) - dry chile peppers - The original recipe calls for a couple of different chile peppers, but I was only able to find Chile De Ristra at our grocery store. It was a great substitution. (soaked, stemmed and seeded)

1 (3 lb) beef chuck roast - I have used Eye of the Round Roast - this type of roast is very lean and great for this recipe as it has to cook for some time.

Salt and Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 chipotle in adobo

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon - I have increased the amount of the spices. You need flavor, don't be afraid of it!

1/2 cup water - I have used the water that was left over from my Chile De Ristra soaking

Directions:

Place dried peppers into a bowl or jar and fill with water until covered. Soak for 20 minutes until softened.

Bring the roast to room temperature - about 30 minutes. Season roast with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast iron pot over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear roast on all sides. Once seared, remove pot from heat and set aside.

In a blender, add in Chile De Ristra peppers, chipotle, garlic, cider vinegar, salt, oregano, cinnamon, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and water. Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary to thin it out enough to blend.

Pour sauce over chuck roast in the crock pot or insta pot. See specific directions for the crock pot or insta pot below.

Shred and serve. If you are using Eye of the Round Roast - thinly slice the meat after you are done cooking the beef and put back into the sauce. The beef will absorb a good amount of the sauce and it will be nice and tender.

Notes

CROCK POT: Place seasoned roast in a crock pot. Make sauce according to directions and pour over meat. Cook on high 6 hours, or low 8 to 10 hours. Thinly slice the beef and put back into the sauce for another 20 minutes.

INSTANT POT: 3T's preferred method. Use the sear setting to sear seasoned roast. Make sauce and pour over meat. Cook on the beef/stew setting for about 70 minutes. Take out, thinly slice the meat, put it back into the insta pot and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes on the sear setting. Make sure to stir around and don't walk away!

This recipe was so good. Our family ate the whole brisket last night for dinner. I have made this dish for my cowboys the day came home from hunting. They are not exactly roughing it when they go hunting as the cabin is quite comfortable, but I wanted to have a nice dish ready for them. We did miss them and were happy to have them home.

They came home, shared their hunting stories, took showers, wanted a quick grilled cheese sandwiches and hit the bed. Well, change of plans! Brisket will be served the next night, when they can keep their eyes open.

This recipe came from the Pioneer Woman. I was catching up on her cooking show while the guys were away. It is delicious. We typically smoke all of our roasts, especially brisket, but I had to try this recipe. We have all licked our fingers and ate it all!

Ingredients:

3T brisket

2 sliced onions

1 head of garlic - just peel it

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Two 15-ounce cans red enchilada sauce (We like Hatch brand).

1/2 cup water (Check half way through, if your sauce needs more liquid).

Directions:

Put the garlic and onions into a 6-quart slow cooker.

Place the brisket on top.

Sprinkle over the ancho powder and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pour in the enchilada sauce.

Cover and cook on low until the meat falls apart, about 8 hours.

Check your liquid and add water, if necessary.

I have sliced the meat vs shredding it. We like the texture of the beef better.

I have served the beef with Mexican style rice, flour taco tortillas, guacamole, salsa and cheese.

I have been trying to take a picture of the smoked Tri-Tip Roast the whole summer, but still no luck. The moment the meat is ready to be served it is gone in minutes! It is that good! The Cowboss smoked the roast this past weekend for our monthly BBQ with our friends. It was a hit.

I have used Chicago Steak Seasoning from Weber, but you can use any dry rub you like. Bring the roast to room temperature, let it sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Here are the smoker directions from the Cowboss:

I like to get my smoker going at about 225 and I use a combination of hardwood lump charcoal and walnut chunks for the fuel. A meat thermometer is handy to have as well. I put it right on the grill of the smoker and let it go for about 3 hours and let it get to 155 or so for the inside temperature. Then, wrap it in a foil and put it back on for another two hours, keeping the heat still at 225. That helps soften and slow cook the meat without getting it dry. It’s a lean cut, so the foil keeps the juices in while you’re finishing the smoke. The times vary depending on the size of your roast, I usually do about a 2.5 pounder. Let it rest for a few minutes when it’s done and then you’re all set for a wonderful Tri-Tip roast. Done right and you can eat the slices with just a fork, no knife. Enjoy!

I have been searching for new recipes to add to our "staples dinner list" and came across these Italian Beef Sandwiches. Our family loves roast, our favorite is smoke roast of any kind. The Cowboss does an excellent job smoking our beef, but I have to say these Italian Beef Sandwiches come as very close second! Plus it can't get any easier to make them.

Place roast into the crockpot, sprinkle the seasoning and pour the entire jar of banana peppers including the liquid over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Pour in 1 cup of water.

Cover and cook for another 4 hours. I find that our meat likes the low temperatures better.

Shred the meat with forks and place onto broiled sandwich rolls. As you can see in my pictures, I have put the cheese on top of the meat and put it into the oven for a couple of minutes to melt it. My Cowboss had a good idea.. Broil the rolls and melt the cheese and then put the meat on the bun. Extra layer to prevent a soggy bun.

Have to give credit to Buns in My Oven website for this wonderful recipe. It is a winner.

It is a weeklong birthday celebration at the ranch. We like to go all out for birthdays. Nothing better than to surprise the Cowboss with few unexpected, non-requested presents and of course great dinner or two or in this year's case.. three great dinners.

We had family over on Sunday to watch the game. Go Broncos! Well, they didn't win, but there is always next time. Our new smoker arrived a few weeks ago and since then the Cowboss have been producing culinary wonders. Smoked ham and chicken, pork green chili nachos, carrot cake, well you get the picture here. Nobody leaves the 3T Ranch hungry!

But the awaited meal was delivered on the actual birthday night. We have been saving the Prime Rib Roast for this special occasion. I was a little nervous, little intimidated and very excited. I sure didn't want to mess up this meal! I have read through at least 10 recipes, bought a new meat thermometer and finally went for it!

Our prime rib roasts are about 2 lbs, perfect size for the four of us, second helpings and steak and egg breakfast in the morning.

Prime Rib Roast

3T Ranch prime rib roast bone in- 2lbs

3 rosemary sprigs

3 thyme sprigs

5 garlic cloves - minced

2 tablespoons of salt

2 tablespoons of crushed peppercorns

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Horseradish sauce:

2 tablespoons of horseradish

1&1/2 tablespoons of mayo

2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pour olive oil all over the roast and rub it like you mean it!

In a bowl put together chopped up rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and peppercorns. I have used our small handy dandy mini food processor, but you an certainly chop it up as well. Mix it together and rub it all over the meat. Press the mixture into the meat.

Put the roast onto a rack in a roasting pan and cook it at 500 degrees for about 15 minutes. This will give the meat a nice crust.

Lower the temperature to 250 degrees and cook the meat for another hour or until the thermometer is about 140 degrees.

Our beef is grass fed/grass finished, therefore, very lean. The cooking method should always be low and slow!

Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes and make sure to cover it with foil. You don't want the tasty juices to run all over your cutting board.